


You're a Good Person to Me

by Song_of_the_Era_17



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Blood, Fluff and Smut, Gen, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-25
Updated: 2014-08-25
Packaged: 2018-01-10 00:14:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1152514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Song_of_the_Era_17/pseuds/Song_of_the_Era_17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Annie had tried to take Eren and failed, and she's quickly running out of options. But what would happen if instead of trying to take Eren himself, why not take someone who matters to him to make him come to her? And even with that, can she deny her feelings for the person she takes? Spoilers up to Episode 22 in the Anime and Chapter 42 in the manga.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Why Didn't You Take Me?

            “Dammit!” Annie shouted, slamming her fist into the trunk of a tree several thousand times taller than she was, and around that much wider. In her Titan form, especially if her skin was crystallized, she could easily reduce those arboreal behemoths to splinters, but in her human form, she only managed to cause a dull thud to ring out in the Forest of Giant Trees and split open her knuckles.

            Steam began to billow out of her wounds, and Annie pulled back her fist to watch with mild interest as her body knit itself back together. For once, she didn’t look all too bored, but then her eyes narrowed, and whatever animation had been present was instantly erased.

            _Dammit, Mikasa,_ Annie thought. _You just couldn’t let Eren go._ She smiled dryly. Of course she wouldn’t have let Eren go, she was practically in love with her adopted brother. _But did she and that stupid Levi prick have to tear up my Titan so hard?_

Annie supposed that was one of the risks she knew she’d had to take. That had been her mission: Get Eren, no matter what it took. And she had failed. She was very quickly running out of options, especially the ones that would totally exclude killing the friends she had never meant to make in the 104th Trainee Corps. _That’s your own fault, Annie,_ she reminded herself with a burst of anger. _You let yourself get close to all of them. Jean, Christa, Sasha, Connie, Marco, even that infuriating trio: Eren, Mikasa, Armin…_

Her eyes widened for a second as a spark of inspiration attacked every nerve in her brain. The steam finally stopped coming from her body, but her newly re-formed hands were already beginning to tremble. _I can’t get Eren directly, but what if…_ Annie struggled with the possibility. _…What if I can get Eren to chase after something he can’t lose?_

She smiled sadly, knowing exactly who to take and run with. _Sad really. I’ve always had a soft spot for him._ But Annie knew that she had a mission to complete. There were people counting on her. Every second she wasted in failure was another shifter succumbing to the effects of the titanic cages that they could not escape.

Annie clenched her fists tightly and dug her fingernails into her palms. With sadness in her eyes that no one could see, but she could undeniably feel, Annie leapt off the branch that was seventy meters in the air and swung off into the dark canopy in the direction she figured was the best place to intercept what remained of the Survey Corps, a plan already forming in her mind and a silent apology never passing her lips.

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            Some supply carts were now carrying double the load than they had begun with. The carts that had once held the excess were now loaded with corpse after corpse of fallen soldiers. There was one cart in particular that held a single body, not wrapped in blood-stained canvas but instead blanketed in the emerald green cloak of the Survey Corps, the Wings of Freedom proudly upturned. And as that supply cart bounced over a rock sticking up in the path of one of its wheels, the body of Eren Jaeger awoke with a startled gasp.

            For a moment all he saw was the fading afternoon sky. _Am I dead? This view is so beautiful…_ The cart bounced over another rock, causing Eren to bounce too and land with a painful thud. “Ow!” he burst out. _Nope, definitely not dead._

            “Hello, Eren.” The boy with the big, teal eyes turned his head, and instantly recognized the speaker.

            “Mikasa?” The girl was sitting back on her heels, her hands in her lap. Her dark hair formed a curtain, hiding her face from view, though Eren caught glimpses of her face because of the wind. It was obvious that she had been digging her fingernails into her palms. “W-what happened?”

            “You don’t remember?” Mikasa asked gently.

            “No, I-I—“ Eren stopped as all the memories of the past day came rushing back at him. Images of riding through the forest on horseback, flashes of steel blades, swinging through the trees. Blood. Everywhere, there was blood. Petra, Oluo, Gunther, Erd. And there was something else…

            “The Female Titan?” Eren whispered, terrified of the answer he knew that was coming.

            Mikasa’s head somehow managed to drop even lower, and when she finally spoke her voice trembled only slightly enough that Eren was the only one who could have possibly known. “She got away.”

            Eren swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded slowly, sitting up with difficulty and leaning up against the front of the supply cart. Somehow, he was keeping calm easily, which was very unlike him. This fact caused Mikasa to finally raise her eyes to look at her adopted brother. Stranger still, Eren reached out and took her hands in his own, not that she minded in the slightest, but Eren almost never showed that kind of physical affection anymore. Black eyes stared into teal for a moment, and then Eren spoke, softly but firmly. “We’ll get her next time.”

            “E—Eren…” Mikasa began, but Eren cut her off by pressing a single finger to her lips.

            “You know, Armin told me about how you were when you heard that I’d died in the Battle for Trost.” Eren heard Mikasa’s sharp intake of breath, but he kept going. “He told me that at one point you almost gave up because you thought you’d lost the only family you had left. Mikasa, I don’t want to put you through that ever again, because you’re all the family I have left, too.”

            The girl with the dark hair gazed intently back into Eren’s eyes, her own beginning to fill with the tears she had been holding back. “Mikasa, I don’t want to hurt you anymore.” And that’s when her normally calm composure broke. Mikasa wrapped her arms around Eren’s neck and began to cry silently into his chest. Eren was taken aback.

            _Did it really affect her this badly?_ He thought with dismay, but he wrapped his arms around his adopted sister’s waist anyway, knowing that Mikasa was more than a sister to him. “Shh, it’s okay,” Eren whispered softly, gently rubbing the girl’s back. “I’m here. I’m not leaving you ever again.”

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            Armin and Jean sat on opposites of the cart, sitting as far away from the canvas-wrapped bodies as they could. Yes, they had all once been fellow soldiers, allies, even friends. But Armin didn’t dare turn his head, instead opting to look either straight ahead at Jean or back the way they had come.

            “How did I get so lucky?” Jean said suddenly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

            “You chose this, remember?” Armin reminded him. “We all did.”

            “I’m not talking about being in the Survey Corps, I know I chose that.” Jean closed his eyes and his voice started shaking. “I just don’t remember choosing to watch the people I even just start getting close to dying.”

            Jean heard a noise like someone was choking on air, and when he looked up he realized with annoyance at himself that what he’d said had made tears come to Armin’s eyes. “Armin, I—“

            “No, Jean. It’s okay. You’re right.” Armin wiped the tears onto his cloak, and then his voice regained a semblance of the calm Jean had relied on for his own sanity. “None of us chose that. But that’s the risk that came with joining the Survey Corps.”

            Jean grunted and looked back the way they had come. The world was so quiet except for the constant rumble of cartwheels on dirt and the rhythmic pounding of a hundred galloping horses. He scanned behind them for the hundredth time, knowing that once again there wouldn’t be any titans to see. But once he finished scanning, his eyes for some reason went back to looking straight behind them. _What is that?_ Jean thought, and then his eyes widened as he saw the all-too-familiar image that was only a few miles behind them.

            “A—Armin…” Jean stuttered, getting the smaller boy’s attention. “Fire up a black flare, would you?”

            At first Armin’s eyebrows just furrowed in confusion, but when he turned to follow Jean’s gaze his eyes widened and he simply froze on the spot. The stride, the swing of the arms, the silhouette, the sway of the short blonde hair, they were all there. “N—No…It can’t be!”

            “Armin, fire the flare!” Jean commanded, and his voice was so filled with authority that Armin responded immediately, pulling out the small pistol and shoving the right flare into the barrel. He shoved his arm into the air and pulled the trigger, and the flare shot from the barrel with a soft puff of smoke.

            “So, Female Titan,” Armin said softly, not a single trace of fear in his voice for once, and this made Jean turn to Armin, more shocked at his tone of voice than the rapidly approaching titanic figure. “We meet again.”

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            “Mikasa.” The raven-haired soldier awoke with a start at the sound of her name. _Great job, Mikasa_ , she scolded herself. _What kind of soldier just dozes off like that?_ Then she realized that she was curled up with her head resting on Eren’s chest. She allowed herself a little smile. _I guess I can let it slide just this once._

            “Mikasa, a black flare has just been shot up from the rear.”

            “What?!” the girl shouted, jumping up in an instance. Eren also managed to push himself to a standing position. Mikasa already knew which titan it was that was coming from the back. Then her eyes widened, and the fear she felt in the Battle of Trost threatened to return with a vengeance. “Eren…A-Armin’s back there!”

            Eren’s head whirled to look at her in shock. “Mikasa, we need to go to him!”

            “Eren, I—“ but Mikasa was cut off.

            “Mikasa, if we fight together, titan and human, we might stand a chance at beating her this time!”

            The girl with the black hair was shocked into silence. She hadn’t even considered that as a possibility before. When she finally found her voice, she said, “Can I trust you to keep control of yourself this time?”

            Eren growled with intensity. “This time, it isn’t about humanity. It’s about saving Armin. This is personal.”

            Mikasa nodded. She grabbed her maneuver gear and put it on quickly. “Let’s go save our best friend.”

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            Jean just barely managed to dive off the cart, pulling Armin with him, before the Female Titan stomped on the cart.  It instantly shattered, sending splintered boards and bodies everywhere, including the broken form of Petra Ral, her body becoming unraveled from the bloodstained canvas and hitting the ground, as if she was nothing more than a ragdoll.

            Armin watched her broken form bounce and then roll, kicking up dust with every time her body came in contact with the earth, but he was too afraid to cry over the soldier who had become like a mother to all of them. Instead when both he and Jean hit the ground, they were up in seconds, and Armin suddenly found himself holding onto the other boy for dear life on the back of a horse, which he realized was one from the cart, somehow not skewered through like the other one.

            “Come on, come on!” Jean shouted, urging the horse to go faster and faster. But with the pounding footsteps that shook the ground even more with every passing moment, he knew that he might be too late to save both himself and Armin. _I refuse to die at the hands of this titanic bitch! I don’t give a damn how nice her ass is._ Then he shook thought out of his head, scowling. _Reiner, when I get out of this alive, you are_ not _hearing the end of it._

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            Annie pushed her body to go faster, but _damn_ was that horse fast! Even with both Jean and Armin on its back, she was still trying harder than she had anticipated just catching up with it. She put her head down and kept going.

            Finally she came within reach of it, but just as she was about to tug Armin into her hand, Jean started taking evasive maneuvers with that stupid horse, weaving left then right.

            _Jean, damn you! Make this easy for me!_ Of course he wouldn’t do that, but Annie was allowed some wishful thinking every once in a while. But just as she was about to get the blonde off the horse’s back again, she heard an all too familiar roar, and as she brought her head up, for a second all she could see was a giant foot, and then a red flash of pain, and she was on the ground, her body grinding into the dirt.

            _What the hell?_ And then she saw an unbelievably muscular titan land on his feet, steam rising from his right one, and as he came to face her, she recognized the deep-set teal eyes, hooked nose, and shoulder length dark brown hair. _Dammit, Eren! I never taught you how to do that!_

            Almost in response to her thought, Titan Eren let out a roar. _So, Female Titan,_ Eren thought, easily keeping control of himself this time. _This time it’ll be different. This time, I have one of the toughest soldiers of the Survey Corps on my side. Let’s go, Mikasa!_

            Out of the corner of his eye, Eren caught sight of two horses behind his opponent, far out of her line of sight, one carrying Jean and Armin, the other carrying Mikasa heading towards a patch of trees that would be tall enough to use maneuver gear in a fight. _Good_ , Eren approved. _That way, Jean and Armin can hide out in the trees, and Mikasa can get in this. Now if I can just distract the Female Titan long enough to for them to get there…_

            But the Female Titan had seen the way his eyes had moved, and turned to follow his gaze. And when she saw what he was looking at, she turned and headed after them.

            “ _No!”_ Eren shouted from within, and charged after her. _What does she want with them?! Wasn’t I her objective? What could she possibly want? Jean? Mikasa? Armin?_ No matter who she was going for, letting it happen was not an option. Eren dove and hit his opponent’s knees, bringing her to the ground with a crash, and Eren held on with one arm, attempting to break her legs with the other.

            The Female Titan twisted and kicked with both legs, sending Eren flying. Eren hit the ground on his back, but rolled to get back on his feet and kept going, trying to buy his teammates enough time. He watched as Mikasa used her maneuver gear to pick up Armin and bring him up into the trees. Meanwhile, Jean was still on the horse, riding and weaving through the trees. Then Mikasa came back down and brought Jean into the trees, too, sending the horse running.

            _Alright,_ Eren thought, _now we’re getting somewhere._ _But what the hell is she playing at?_ Eren shook his titanic head, and picked up speed, hoping Mikasa was ready to go.

            The Female Titan charged into the trees, glancing around, searching for something. But then she realized that she had to focus her attention elsewhere as a giant fist smashed into her chin, sending her flying backwards into a tree, snapping it in half.

            _Damn! If Armin, Jean, or Mikasa are in one of those, they’re just about done for!_ Eren cursed himself. _I need to be more careful._ Eren switched tactics, electing to take a more defensive stance. The Female Titan saw the shift, and also made a stance change of her own, though Eren was unable to tell what exactly it was for.

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            Meanwhile, Armin was in the trees, hidden enough by the green cloak. _Why didn’t you kill me the last time we saw you?_ The boy wondered. _I know you want Eren, so what’s the point in sparing some of us? Who are you?_

            But when he saw the Female Titan’s stance change, he gasped. He knew that position.

* * * * * * * *

            _“Annie?” The girl looked up to see the blonde with the bright blue eyes._

_“What is it, Armin?” Normally, she wouldn’t even bother, but she liked Armin. He wasn’t all that strong of a soldier, but he was a smart guy. He was also understanding, sensitive…_ what the hell am I thinking? Annie, get a hold of yourself.

_“I’ve never seen a stance like that before,” the boy said, honestly curious. “What would you use it for?”_

_Annie couldn’t resist the sparkle she saw in his eyes and softened instantly. “Well, if I shift my weight onto my back foot like this and keep my hands up, that leaves my body and face protected, but I can still use my forward foot to attack.”_

_“Can you teach me?” This took Annie by surprise. Gentle, sweet Armin, wanting her to teach him how to fight?_

_“It would only get you hurt, Armin,” she responded._

_“It would get me stronger for the future,” he pointed out._

_Annie sighed. There was no way she could ever say no to this kid. “Sure, Armin. I’ll teach you.”_

* * * * * * * *

            “Annie?” Unwittingly, the Female Titan reacted and turned to look at Armin, further confirming his suspicions. “Oh shit.” Then he realized that he had just given away his position. “OH SHIT!” And that is when Annie launched her attack, not at Eren, but at the tree that Armin was standing in, her shin crystallized.

            And then Armin was falling, splinters of wood flying everywhere but somehow never even touching him, and then all he saw was Annie’s gaping mouth, and as her teeth slammed shut behind him, everything went black. And then he screamed.

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            “ARMIN!” Mikasa screamed, leaping out in blind rage. She wasn’t even thinking anymore. Everything at this point was simply _I will murder you!_ She swung out in a frenzy with her maneuver gear, using her blades to start carving the titan before her into pieces, rending deep slashes into its flesh, but her opponent was following her every move, and suddenly moved a single hand into the air.

            Jean saw this, and in vain he shouted, “Mikasa! Don’t!”

            But it was too late. The girl only had one goal in mind, and that is what made it so easy for the Female Titan to snatch her out of the air and throw her far enough away that Eren would have to sprint after her to catch her, giving the Female Titan enough time to sprint in the other direction, her target captured.

            Mikasa kept her eyes shut, feeling like this time she was surely done for. “I’m sorry, Eren,” she whispered. But then she felt a giant hand gently wrap around her and pull her down, She felt something like an earthquake as she realized that Eren had dove through the air to catch her and was now grinding his back into the earth. _I guess I should have had a bit more faith than that._

            When Eren finally came to a stop, he picked himself up and put Mikasa on his shoulder, and he trotted back over to the patch of trees. The Female Titan’s footsteps were easily visible in the soft earth, but she was now nowhere to be seen.

            From within, Eren shut his eyes, and as he opened his mouth, a titanic roar mixed with his own voice, screaming five little words with more than enough meaning:

**“Why didn’t you take me?!”**


	2. Painful Reminiscings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin has been taken, and Eren and the rest of the Survey Corps are left to pick up the pieces. Picking up the pieces, however, manages to leave everyone in pieces. Meanwhile, back in the Forest of Giant Trees, Annie and Armin are having a little bit of drama of their own, both of them having to deal with their own and each other's painful memories.

            For a long time, all Armin knew was darkness and bruises and screaming. Well, he could have avoided the bruises, and the screaming, but he didn’t care. All the time he spent in pure darkness was spent pounding his fists on the giant teeth that caged him.

            Finally, he was able to articulate words, especially since he was finally getting used to the situation and wasn’t as terrified. “ANNIE! YOU’VE HAD THREE CHANCES TO KILL ME ALREADY! WHAT DO YOU NEED ME FOR?!”

            “Shut up, Armin, I’m getting you out.” Armin heard the bored, level voice and suddenly he was blinded as blades slashed open his fleshy cage and light came flooding in. Then small but strong hands grabbed his arms and pulled him into the outside world.

            For several moments, all Armin saw was bright gold, but as his eyes re-adjusted to the light, he began to be able to make out a canopy of purest green, and a range of natural hues of green and brown. “You still never answered my question, Annie.” The boy turned to look at the girl who had taken him for reasons he was trying to figure out. “Why me?”

            Annie Leonhart didn’t return his gaze. “Lots of reasons.”

            Armin laughed dryly. “Well I’ve got lots of time, don’t I?” The boy moved to slam his fist into a giant trunk and then thought better of it, electing to instead whirl around and sit down on the giant branch he was on with his head in his hands. _Don’t break your hand, Armin. These trees are several thousand times taller than you._

            This made the corners of the girl’s mouth curve up slightly. “Guess you do.” The girl moved to sit down in front of him and brought her knees up to her chest. And with that, Annie Leonhart took a deep breath, and began to talk.

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            “So Arlert’s been taken by the Female Titan?” Commander Erwin Smith said, easily summing up everything that Eren, Jean, and Mikasa had just spent several minutes trying to get across. They had just returned from the tasks that they had been called upon to do, but seeing the commander was definitely of the utmost importance. Still, it had been a hard day, in too many ways.

* * * * * * * *

            _Since the Female Titan had gotten away for the third time just that day, the Survey Corps was once again put to work with picking up the pieces. A lot of that time, at least for the new recruits, was spent picking up the bodies that had been strewn everywhere when the only other known Titan Shifter had stomped on a cart. Physically, it wasn’t very taxing. Emotionally it tore everyone to pieces, especially when Eren had to retrieve the body of Petra Ral, who had shown him that being a soldier didn’t mean he had to be any less human._

_Her broken form was so far off from Eren’s memories of her fierce determination and her gentle eyes and smile. At first, Eren didn’t even think to move her. Instead he simply knelt by her side. There was so much he had never said. So much he should have said while she’d still had the chance to hear._

_“Hey, Petra,” he began softly, almost inaudibly. He knew she couldn’t hear him, but he didn’t care. “I can’t believe that just this morning we were laughing together.” Even as the tears began to come to his eyes already, the boy smiled. In the time that he had known her, he and Petra had been less like comrades and more like family. “Petra,” he continued on, even though his voice was shaking, “remember how I told you that I’d watched my mother get eaten five years ago?” He dug his nails into his palms, but he barely felt it._

_“On that day, I lost whatever childhood I might have still had. I had to grow up without my parents. For five years, I never felt a mother’s love. Until I met you.” His shoulders were shaking now, but he had to press on. There was so much that he had never gotten to tell her, and there was no way he was going to leave any of it unsaid. “You didn’t care that I was a Titan Shifter. You treated me like I was human. Petra, you were like a mother to all of us. For many of us, you were the closest we’ve had to one for a long time._

_“And now you’re just gone,” he choked out, sobs finally wracking through his body. Hot tears streamed down his face as he pulled her stone cold body into his arms into the embrace he had never had the courage to give her before. “Petra, I know I have to be strong without you, but how can I be? I was just getting close to you. I was just starting to let you be like family to me. Petra, please. I need you!”_

_Despite the blood still in her hair, Eren pulled Petra’s body even closer and began to run his fingers through her hair. Mikasa hadn’t hurt much before this point, but as she knelt down by Eren’s side, the boy managed to push out three more words, and just hearing them shattered her heart._

_“Please come back.”_

* * * * * * * *

            Eren swallowed the lump that just refused to leave his throat. “Yes, sir.”

            “I see,” the older man said. He rocked back on his heels and looked off into the distance. “You say she went that way?”

            Eren turned to follow his gaze. _Back that way is where I lost to her, again,_ he thought bitterly. Eren could only nod, but Mikasa picked up on it instantly.

            “Yes, sir, that’s it,” she said.

            “Wouldn’t that take her back in the direction of the Forest of Giant Trees?” Jean asked suddenly.

            Erwin nodded slowly. “You’re observant, Kirchstein.”

            “So we know where they’ll probably be and we can go get him, right?”

            This time Erwin shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s not that easy.”

            “What do you mean it’s not?!” Eren demanded, not even bothering to remember that he was addressing a superior.

            “I have already lost too many men, and a rescue operation against the Female Titan? That would wipe out another twenty soldiers easily.”

            “But Armin is one of the greatest strategists we’ve got!” Eren countered. “We can’t lose him!”

            “Eren, I’m telling you, the answer is ‘no’,” Erwin said, levelly, but with full authority. Then he softened slightly. “I’m sorry, I know you and Armin have been best friends for as long as either of you can remember. But he’s as good as gone. And even if he’s still alive, he’s probably bait for a trap.”

            As the Commander walked away, Jean and Mikasa turned to look at Eren, and instead of the resignation they expected to see, they saw his teal eyes set in a glare of determination. “I refuse to give up on my best friend,” he growled.

            Jean put a hand on his shoulder, and he was surprised Eren didn’t brush him off. “Then neither will we,” he said, which made Eren look at him. “We’ll go and get him.”

            “You’re not scared of breaking orders?” the other boy asked.

            Jean smirked. “That sounded more like a recommendation to me.”

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            “So you needed someone that Eren cared about, and you can’t stand Mikasa,” Armin said, not mentioning the several minutes that Annie had just spent talking about the reasons why he was the best out of the entire 104th Trainee Corps, even though there was no doubt in Annie’s mind that he had heard the entire thing.

            “Yeah, that sounds about right,” Annie said. _Why didn’t I just say that? Why did I just go and ramble on about why I like Armin? Can’t ever say “no” to this kid!_ God, that was embarrassing. _Annie_ , she scolded herself silently, _get a hold of yourself. You can’t afford this._ Armin saw her eyes sadden for only a moment, but then it was gone. _He’s too good for you._

* * * * * * * *

            _“Well, Armin, I knew that if I tried to just outright take Eren again, I’d just get torn up by Mikasa and that legendary captain of yours,” she began. “So why would I risk that when instead I can bring Eren to me?”_

_Armin nodded. “And in order to get Eren to come to you, you’d need to use something he can’t lose as bait. I see. So naturally you narrowed your choices down to Mikasa and me.”_

_Annie looked startled. “How’d you come to that conclusion?”_

_“Well, everyone in the 104 th knows that Mikasa and I are practically the only family Eren has left. Take one of us, he won’t care how far he has to go, or if it’s a trap or not. He’ll come after us.”_

_The look on Annie’s face stayed._

_Armin was confused but then something dawned on him. “Oh, did you not even consider Mikasa?”_

_“How could you tell?”_

_“You’re easier to read than you think, Annie,” the boy replied with a gentle smile, and if circumstances weren’t so ridiculous, Annie would have thought Armin was flirting with her._

_“Am not,” the girl whined, but then she immediately cursed herself._ Annie what are you doing? You sound so much like some love-struck teenager! _“Nobody else in the 104 th can tell what I’m thinking.”_

_“Okay, well maybe it’s just me,” Armin responded, smiling wider._

_Annie sighed. “When did you get so infuriating?”_

_“When did you start letting me get to you?”_

_Annie curled her knees closer to her and didn’t answer._

_“Well, then why didn’t you even think about taking Mikasa?“ Armin asked instead._

_That one was an easier question to answer. “She’s no fun.”_

_This made Armin laugh out loud, and this made Annie stare at him in surprise. How was he still feeling happy enough to laugh in a situation like this? “What’s so funny?”_ But _damn_ does he have a nice laugh.

_“Nothing, nothing, just…HAHAHAHAHA…okay I’m done, I promise. It’s funny how that’s your reason for taking me and not Mikasa.”_

_“Well, I never said that was the only reason,” Annie retorted, but then realized that she had just opened the way for another question._ Please don’t ask, please don’t ask, please don’t ask, please don’t ask…

_Armin cocked his head to the side, causing his honey blonde hair to shake. “Well then why else would you take me?”_

_Annie opened her mouth to respond, and suddenly words came pouring out._ Well, now I’m done for… _“Because I actually like you. You’re easier to talk to. It’s easy to be honest with you. Everybody else in the 104 th already looks broken, and your eyes still shine with hope. You’re not just surviving, you’re still alive, Armin. It’s like all those dreams that you told me about seeing the outside world are keeping you running and human.”_

_Armin didn’t respond for a second. “Annie, do you really mean that?”_

_Annie took a deep breath. “Yeah, I guess I do.”_

_“Well that’s sweet of you,” the boy replied, though he wouldn’t meet her gaze._ Is he blushing? _Annie wondered._

_“So you needed someone that Eren cared about, and you can’t stand Mikasa,” the boy finally said._

_“Yeah, that sounds about right.”_

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            Night had fallen as the remains of the Survey Corps camped out for the night. Almost nobody got any sleep, but usually only those who were keeping watch were up. This time, however, there was a silent flurry of activity. Though most of the veterans were too busy mourning their comrades, Mikasa and Eren were already buckling on their 3D Maneuver Gear. 

            “You ready to go?” Eren asked after finally getting as many blades as he could into the sheaths.

            “Yeah, I am,” Mikasa replied shrugging into her cloak.

            “Same here,” Jean said, who had just stolen into the tent. “And so are the rest of us.”

            “Rest of us?” Mikasa asked.

            “They wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” the boy responded, and brushed back the flap of the tent to reveal Reiner, Bertolt, Krista, Ymir, Sasha, and Connie, all also equipped with maneuver gear and ready to go.

            “You told them?!” Eren hissed.

            Jean was about to retort when Reiner stepped in. “You didn’t think we’d let you three have all the fun did you?”

            Sasha nodded enthusiastically. “Besides, Armin’s our friend, too. I know you guys are basically family, but we have just as much right to care about him as you do.”

            “And like hell are we going to lose you guys, too,” Krista piped up, prompting Ymir to nod in support.

            “Eren, don’t tell me you need a speech to convince you,” Connie said with a grin. “You should know that this is the better decision for this unofficial mission of yours.”

            Eren sighed and nodded. “You’re right again, guys. Everybody got a pack with them? Extra blades, Extra canisters of gas? Another set of maneuver gear for Armin once we find him?”

            Everyone hefted a backpack onto their shoulders, and Bertolt lifted a second onto his shoulder. “Already got it covered, man,” the taller boy said with a soft smile.

            Eren smiled a little. “I can’t thank you guys enough for this.”

            “Then don’t,” Ymir said. “Let’s just get Armin back.”

            As Eren looked around at his teammates, some giving reassuring smiles, and others set in determination, he couldn’t help but smile wider. _We’re coming for you, Armin. Don’t worry._

            “So,” Mikasa spoke up, “who’s getting us past the people on watch? We’re going to need a lot of horses.”

            “Leave the horses to Ymir and me,” Krista replied immediately, surprising the Asian. “Everyone agrees that I’ve got the greatest appeal with the animals, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

            “And Bertolt here knows a pretty cool trick to take care of the guys on watch. It’ll only leave them incapacitated for a few minutes, and they’ll wake up with just a minor headache. Won’t remember a thing,” Reiner said.

            Eren smiled once more, but then his eyes set in that familiar glare. “Welcome to the other side of the law.”

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            Night had fallen in the Forest of Giant Trees. Even though she had shifted three times within the last day, Annie wasn’t tired. At least, she wasn’t going to admit to herself that she was tired anytime soon. She had been up for hours, alert for practically no reason but to make sure that Armin didn’t escape, which, without maneuver gear, was practically impossible.

            Maybe it wasn’t just making sure he didn’t escape. Perhaps it was more of making sure that he would stay, which was entirely different. _I enjoy his company,_ Annie finally admitted to herself. _He just might be one of the greatest real friends I’ve ever had. Sure, I’ve had allies before, but friends? Armin’s really the only one I have_.

            She heard a sound in the dark. Nothing more than a sniffle, but it was enough to make Annie turn. There against the trunk of the tree was Armin. His head was down, and his hair fell over his face, hiding it from view. His knees were up, and his arms rested on top of them, his hands clasped together. Annie had only seen him like that once before. That was during the Battle for Trost after he had witnessed his entire squad get eaten, including Eren.

            “Armin.” The boy looked up, and Annie’s heart died a little when she saw that the boy had been crying. She knelt down in front of him. “What’s the matter?”

            For a while, he only continued to look at her, and then Annie realized that he was actually _glaring_ at her. Never had she seen his eyes so ablaze.

            “You didn’t have to kill them, you know,” he finally growled.

            “Kill who?” Annie asked, trying to keep her voice in check.

            “Everybody,” Armin shot back. “All those members of the Survey Corps! And I recognized that maneuver gear you presented during inspection! That was Marco’s! Why did you have that, huh? Did you kill him, too?!”

            Armin’s head whipped to the side, and it wasn’t until his cheek started turning red that Annie realized that she had just slapped him. Her cheeks also got wet, and suddenly Armin wasn’t the only one crying.

            “No one knows how Marco died, right?” Annie slowly asked. Armin nodded. “I do.  I was there.”

* * * * * * * *

_Annie grunted as her shoulder slammed into the hard stone of Wall Rose surrounding Trost district. She heard three other thuds, and she knew that Jean, Connie, and Marco had all made it, too._

_“You’re insane!” Jean shouted._

Typical, _Annie thought._ We just saved your life, you ungrateful bastard!

            _“You’re the crazy one!” Marco shot back._ Atta boy, Marco!

            _I’m surprised I even survived that…” Connie muttered._ Well yeah, you kinda rammed yourself into the side of a Titan’s head…

            _Annie glanced around, mostly to look for something to change the subject with. And as her eyes came to rest on a certain view, she gasped. She’d found it. “Look at that.”_

_Jean stood up, scanning the city, and as he followed her gaze, his jaw dropped open. “Eren?”_

_That’s exactly what it was. At first, all they saw was the image of a boulder, bobbing up and down, making a resounding crash resonate through the district with every time it came down. Then the familiar hair and deep-set teal eyes came into view._

_Jean kept scanning, and his eyes came to look at the gate, which was surrounded by Titans. He looked back to the others. “Don’t let them interfere! Protect Eren!” And with that, the four members of the 104 th Trainee Corps leapt off the wall and into action. _

_They landed on the rooftops and took off running, not even bothering to worry about the shingles that had shattered at their landings. Annie couldn’t help but admire the athleticism of her comrades. But just as she was about to leap across the divide between buildings, a memory flashed through her head._

_“Remember that although these people that you encounter may seem friendly, they are not. This is the same race that warred against itself two millennia ago and almost destroyed the planet. These creatures are power-hungry, and will stop at nothing to get to the top. Get in their way, they will run you down. They must be exterminated, at all costs.”_

_“Annie!” the girl returned to the present soon enough to realize that she was about to run into a building, but too late to do anything about it. The girl slammed into the wood and bounced off, falling the fifteen feet to the ground. She landed with a crash._

_“Damn!” she said, but she picked herself up anyway._ Okay, anything broken? No bones, that’s good. What about my maneuver gear? _She pulled the trigger that would normally release the harpoon wire, but instead there was nothing but a pitiful whine. “No, no, no, not now…”_

_“Annie, are you alright?” The girl looked up to see Marco staring down at her from the rooftop, concern evident in his eyes._

_“My maneuver gear’s busted!” Annie responded. “It’s gonna take me a while to get back up there. Any Titans around?”_

_The boy looked around. “Nothing that I can see. Try going inside and breaking through the roof!”_

_“Will do,” the girl assented. “Give me a shout if you see anything!”_

_Annie kicked down the door and darted in, sprinting up the stairs._ This is going to screw up my blades, but I don’t have much of a choice.

 _The girl busted down another door once she got upstairs, and in that room she found a rather tall dresser, tall enough to stand on and break through the roof._ Perfect!

            _She leapt up and slammed her blades straight up into the ceiling, creating an opening big enough for her to squeeze through, maneuver gear and all. She released her blades and let them clatter to the floor and placed the handgrips onto another set. She left them where they were and leapt up to grab the sides of the hole, ignoring the splinters that were digging into her palms._

_Annie pulled herself through the rafters and onto the roof. As she scanned the area, Marco landed lightly next to her. “You alright?” The boy asked._

_“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied. “I’m gonna have a hard time fighting Titans, though.”_

_“Alright, stay close,” Marco said, and took off running, Annie only a couple steps behind. The two easily leapt the gap over to the next building, closer and closer to the wide-open gate of Trost district._

_As Annie continued to look around, she was able to see more and more Titans, all but one getting closer to Eren. The other, easily a ten-meter class, was looking straight at them, and then it was off and coming towards them. “Marco!”_

_The boy followed her gaze. “Dammit! Alright, can you distract it? I’ll try and kill it!”_

_“Will do,” Annie shouted, and then she off trying to get its attention. “Hey you! Over here! I hope you like white meat!” The Titan’s eyes followed her movements._ Yes, it’s working!

            _Out of its line of sight, Annie saw Marco leap out from another building, but just as suddenly as the Titan was there, it wasn’t, closing in on Annie. “Marco!”_

_Marco heard her cry and swung around the Titan and landing between it and Annie, slicing off its outstretched hand. Then his arm was wrapped around her waist and he took off running, but the extra weight was slowing him down, and just when Annie was out of range, the Titan switched targets and went for Marco instead. The giant mouth snapped shut and Marco screamed in pain, even though he was still running._

_Annie dared look over, and she gasped as her came to rest on the empty air where his arm should have been. And then there was blood, so much blood, too much blood._

_Marco tried to leap to the next building but he was already losing his strength, and he and Annie both crashed into the wood. They slid down until their bodies came to rest on the bloodstained cobblestone._

_Annie painfully pushed herself up and moved over to Marco’s broken form, leaned up against the side of the building. “Stay with me, I’m going to get you out of this.”_

_The boy smiled sadly. “Not this time, Annie.” With his remaining arm, he started taking off his maneuver gear. The pieces of metal clattered to the ground. “Take it. You need it more than I do.”_

_“No, Marco, you’re getting out of this!”_

_“Annie, you’re one of the best soldiers we’ve got!” Marco shouted, struggling to use the remaining strength he had. “Now go kill that titanic son-of-a-bitch before anybody else gets torn apart!”_

_“But—“ the girl tried to say, but she got cut off._

_“Annie,” the boy said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Tell Jean….” He coughed up blood, but he spat it out and tried again. “Tell Jean I’m sorry.”_

_And with that, the boy took his final breath, and closed his eyes._

_And Marco Bott moved no more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if I tugged on your heartstrings too hard! I was having a REALLY hard time writing this, so here it is, chapter 2. Stay with me and I'll update as soon as I can! Thanks, y'all! ~Rod


	3. Hearts on Fire

            “I still blame myself for that,” Annie whispered, letting her hand drop to her side.  She sat back on her heels and gripped the harnesses that zigzagged across her thighs. “You can think I’m a murderer, I don’t care. I am. All those soldiers of the Survey Corps, yes that was me. But Marco? He was more than just a comrade, he was a friend.”

            Armin was simply staring, too shocked at the vividness of the memory. It turns out that Annie was an incredible storyteller, but then again, many soldiers were. They were always in the heat of the action, and though some details often got muddled, many others were horrifyingly vivid, like color, and especially the intensity of pain. She couldn’t have made all that up if she’d wanted to.

            “Annie.” The girl looked back at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse you of that.” The girl cocked her head, but he kept going. “I know, we’re both really emotional right now. It isn’t easy. Yes, you’ve killed people. But that doesn’t make you the monster among us.”

            “Of course it does, Armin,” Annie responded, confused.

            “No it doesn’t, Annie,” Armin shot back, determined. “At least you have something to stay true to! I know you! You have your reasons, and you’re doing this because something matters to you. You don’t enjoy being a killer. No soldier does! That means we’ve got our reasons. They aren’t all the same. They don’t have to be all the same, because even though we’re all soldiers, we’re all individuals, different in our ways because that makes us who we are.

            “Annie, you’ve found something that you think is worth fighting for, and that is incredible! You have something driving you to help somebody, whether it be you or somebody else who matters to you. You’re out here in this world searching for someone’s better life. Not like those other lazy drunkards in the Military Police. They wanted an easy life, safe and sound. You and I, we can’t have that. So we fight for not only our lives, but for the lives of those we care about.”

            The girl just gaped openly at him. She’d expected Armin to call her a horrible person, a murderer, a monster! She’d never expected this. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”

           “Same thing that’s wrong with you, Annie,” Armin replied softly.

           “Yeah, and what’s that?”

           “I’m in love.”

           “What?” Annie froze. For a couple seconds, her mouth was dry, and she couldn’t form the words. She swallowed, and tried again. “With who?”

           “You already know the answer to that, Annie.” Armin took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips on hers.

           The girl stiffened at first, and Armin was afraid that he had thought wrong all this time. But then Annie, too, closed her eyes, and gave in as she kissed him back.

            Armin pulled the tiny girl into his arms, maneuver gear and all, and she didn’t resist, instead actually cuddling as close as she could, her lips moving gently against his. Then she pulled back and unbuckled the steel around her, letting it rest on the branch, which was wide enough to easily walk on and rest things on.

            The girl lay back down and rested her head on Armin’s chest, very much enjoying the boy’s strong heartbeat. Armin wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. For a long time, all they did was sit like that, with only the sound of their breathing permeating the dark around them. Armin had been dreaming about a moment like this for several months, now. Yes, he knew her history, but he didn't care. It just felt so right to have her in his arms, with the soft sweetness of her lips lingering on his own.

            “Armin?”

            “Yes, Annie?”

            “Why me?”

            “That’s simple,” Armin replied with a smile. Annie turned her head to look up at him, and as he met her gaze, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He pressed his lips to her forehead and Annie rested her head back down on his chest.

            “You’re just as human as I am.”

            The blonde finally gave a real laugh. “You’re insane, you know that?”

            “Yeah, I know. Do you mind?”

            “Not a damn bit.”

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            “They did _what_ _?!_ ” Hangë shouted, making even the usually stoic Erwin Smith cringe.

            These three leaders were in Erwin’s tent in an emergency meeting after reports had come in that all the new recruits from the 104th Trainee Corps had taken off with their horses and all their supplies, along with extra supplies from the carts. Four other soldiers were found unconscious, without any sign of a struggle whatsoever: the two watching the horses and the two making rounds around the camp.

            “What did he just say, Hangë?” Levi said in that same level tone, even though on the inside, he was seething. “Jaeger and his friends have taken off after the Female Titan to go after Armin.”

            “Erwin you said you _ordered_ Eren to stay away!”

            Erwin massaged his temples. “Apparently it was taken as more of a recommendation than an order.”

            “Well we can’t just let this happen!” Hangë said, spinning away and going to the entrance of Erwin’s tent. She stopped as she opened the flap, and added, “Humanity needs Eren more than we may ever realize.” Then she was gone, the tent flap swaying in the wind.

            “She’s right, you know.” Erwin turned to Levi, surprised, but the captain kept on. “Jaeger is one of the greatest assets to the human race throughout all of history. I suggest sending Hangë and I after them with a small elite squad. I need to go after Eren because he is all that remains of the Special Ops Squad; Hangé because she’s in charge of all the other new recruits. The rest of the Survey Corps should continue on back to Wall Rose, because all our other remaining soldiers are strong enough to take on any Titans that may come their way.”

            Erwin considered for a half a second. “Alright. Go tell Hangë. Be ready to go in an hour.”

            “Yes, sir.”

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            Hangë Zoe was sitting outside of the official camp, leaning her back against a tree. Dawn was just starting to break, because the trainees’ desertion had been discovered in the middle of the night. _Either they’re all really brave, really loving, or really stupid._ She cursed under her breath. “What the hell were you all thinking?” She’d become so accustomed to her comrades that she didn’t even need to turn to recognize who was walking up beside her. “So, Levi, when do we leave?”

            “In an hour. Pack up your things; get a few soldiers with you. You know the drill.” The captain sat down next to her, extending one leg and resting his arm on the other knee, which remained erect.

            “Damn right, I do,” she replied, and Levi looked into her eyes, his own wider than usual from surprise. Gone was the woman who was eccentric, bordering on insane. Hangë was all business, like a warrior. _No,_ Levi corrected. _Like a soldier._

            “Levi?”

            “Hm?”

            “I know we’re soldiers. We’re supposed to separate ourselves from others and not care about who lives and who dies. We’re supposed to lose all emotion, all feeling that we have within ourselves.

            “I can’t do it, Levi,” Hangë finally turned around to look at him, and her eyes were shimmering with the raw emotion. “These kids matter to me. Not only are they some of the best soldiers of our future, but they’re so easy to love.

“Jean, he’s a natural leader; he knows what he has to do. Bertolt, Reiner, they’re such determined soldiers, and so trustworthy. Sasha, Connie, they’re such a laugh, not only on their own, but also especially with each other. They keep our spirits up. Krista, she’s so delicate, and so kind. She makes us all feel the love, even Ymir.

            “Then there’s the family within the family. Armin and Eren, they’re so set on seeing the outside world for themselves someday, and that’s what driving them outside the walls. Mikasa: so strong and protective, and yet so loving and sensitive. She’ll do her best to stay with the family she has left.”

            Hangë turned away and stared at the ground, biting the skin on her finger to keep the emotions from taking over. _It’s too late to sever those ties now._

            “I know,” Levi said in response. “I understand.” Hangë looked back at him, nodding a little. “And that’s precisely why we need to go after them. They’re too damn valuable in too many ways.” The captain put a hand on her shoulder, gave a gentle squeeze, and was gone.

O==={}XXXXXXXXXXXXXX> <XXXXXXXXXXXXXX{}===O

            They had been riding since the darkest hour of night, the only light coming from the moon and stars above. For several hours they had been traveling in a miniature version of Commander Erwin’s brainchild, the long-range scouting formation. Though it was far smaller than the original, it would do its job, and Eren was confident that his comrades, no, his _friends_ would be able to take on any Titan that got in the way. They still had smoke rounds, and Eren had managed to sneak a few sonic rounds out of the carts. As long as they didn’t run into any Aberrants, they would be fine.

            At least, that was the plan. Eren knew all too well that a lot of things just refused to go according to plan. And that is why he positioned himself in the center of the miniature formation, so that in case anything went wrong with the rest of his team, he could go to their aid instantly, and if need be, shift into the familiar fifteen-meter body of the Rogue Titan.

            “Eren!” The boy’s focus shifted from his thoughts over to Krista, who was directly to his right. “We should stop, the horses have been going non-stop for several hours! They need food and rest!”

            “Alright!” he shouted back. “Go up to the front and tell Jean! He’ll give the order!”

            A few minutes later, Eren heard Jean’s voice carrying over the terrain, shouting “Full stop!”

            _Jean’s annoying as all get out, but I have to admit that he’s definitely got the qualities of a leader. I mean, Armin saw something in him…._ Eren couldn’t help but think of his best friend as he reined in his horse, bringing it to a stop. _Hang on, Armin; we’re coming._

            Everybody brought their horses around and formed a bit of a circle. “So, Krista,” Jean said, getting the girl’s attention. “What do we do with the horses?”

            “Well, they could use food and rest,” she replied, stroking her steed’s neck. “They’ve been going at full speed the entire time.”

            “Alright, sounds good,” Jean confirmed, nodding his head. “Eren, Mikasa, you want to take first watch?”

            “Will do,” Mikasa responded, and then she dismounted, handing off her horse’s reins to Sasha. Eren got off his own horse and handed the reins to Connie. Then he trotted after his adopted sister, to stand there beside her.

            For a while, nothing was said. Eren and his Mikasa circled the group, scanning the horizon for any sign of their giant predators, but there was nothing. Connie and Sasha came to take over the watch, and then the two before them left to go take care of their horses.

            “Eren?” The boy turned to look at Mikasa. “Did you mean what you said back on that supply cart?”

            “You mean when I said that I’d always be right here and that I’d never leave you again?”

            The girl nodded. Eren smiled softly. “Of course I did. And I still do. You’re my family, Mikasa.” Then he took a deep breath, deciding to press onward to something he had been holding inside for a long time, now. “It’s more than that, really.”

            Mikasa looked at him. “What do you mean?”

            “I mean that you are all that I have. I know, I wouldn’t have said this just a few months ago, but dammit, you mean the world to me.” He lowered his voice. “You _are_ the world to me, Mikasa. After everything that’s happened to us, I just…” he struggled to find words. “Remember when I gave you that scarf?

            “I just…” he turned away frustrated at himself. “Dammit! I have no way to actually put into words how I feel!”

            “Can you try for me?”

            “Well, I guess I—“

            “Eren, Mikasa! Get over here!” came Jean’s shout. “Titans, incoming!”

            “Dammit.” Eren stood up, and reached out a hand to help Mikasa up. “We’re never going to have any time to talk, are we?”

            “Maybe we won’t need it.” Mikasa accepted the offered hand and stood up, pressing a quick kiss in his cheek. “Come on. We’re going to have to either run or kill these giant bastards.”

            It took Eren a couple seconds to register what had just happened, along with what she had just said. He shook his head vigorously, and came back to the task at hand. “Let’s stick to the blades this time.”

            “You got it.”

            And so the two soldiers took off running and then leapt into the air, blades flashing and hearts screaming for bloodshed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I haven't updated for a while, but I decided to add a fluff chapter to slightly lighten the mood. Smut may come later, but I haven't decided yet. We'll see where the plot is. Thanks a bunch! ~Derick
> 
> Oh, almost forgot, yeah I decided to switch nicknames since I started college, so yeah! Enjoy, my peeps!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys liked this, considering that it was my first fan-fic like ever. So hope you stay with me, and I promise I'll update as soon as i can! Thanks, y'all! ~Rod


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